Validity studies on the Family Functioning Scale: Family of Origin version

Abstract

This study presented evidence for the internal and the external validity of the Family-of-Origin version of the Family Functioning Scale (FFS-O). A series of principal components analyses were performed on the responses of 212 subjects. The established component structure of the FFS for current family assessment (FFS-C) was replicated. The FFS-O was found to measure the same five salient dimensions of family functioning: Positive Family Affect, Rituals, Worries, Communication, and Conflicts. The Worries scale was refined, with the addition of three new items related to mood resonance. The final 40-item FFS-O accounted for 56.5% of the total variance. Cronbach alpha reliability estimates and scale intercorrelations were computed and were within acceptable limits. Cluster analysis procedures used scale scores of the FFS-O subscales to classify subjects into cohesive subgroups representing profiles of family-of-origin functioning. The data were standardized to T-scores, with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10. Six family-of-origin cluster groups were identified: Autonomous, Involved, Idealized, Discontent, Disengaged, and Enmeshed. Profiles were analyzed on the basis of shape, elevation, and scatter. The six cluster groups were then partitioned into Adaptive (Autonomous, Involved, and Idealized) and Problematic (Discontent, Disengaged, and Enmeshed) sets on the basis of profile elevation. Within-group and between-group analyses of the two sets were performed on demographic and family background variables, indices of perceived parental alcoholism, and measures of interpersonal orientation and psychological symptomatology. The data supported interpretations of the cluster profiles and provided evidence of construct validity for the FFS-O. ^